1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for performing operations on one or more molded articles in one or more mold cavities and/or mold cores. More particularly, the present invention relates to a side shuttle apparatus and method whereby various in-mold operations (such as extracting the plastic molded articles from their mold cavities or cores, applying labels to the plastic molded articles, providing various inserts into the mold cavity, closing or moving a cap of a molded container, etc.) can be quickly and easily carried out.
2. Related Art
In the injection molding art, it is desirable to carry out various operations on the just-molded plastic articles while they are still resident (or partially resident) in their respective mold cavities (or on their respective mold cores). For example, it would be advantageous to provide structure for removing the just-molded articles, for adding product labels, for providing various structural inserts, for rotating or manipulating the molded article in some way, conducting part inspection using a vision system, in-mold decoration (e.g. priming, painting), transfer molded articles from one molding position to another for progressive cavity molding, applying a barrier layer (e.g. oxygen scrubbing agent, etc.).
It would also be advantageous to provide structure to support pre-molding operations such as conditioning of the mold or molding inserts (e.g. heat and/or cool molding surfaces, apply a mold release agent, clean molding inserts and vents using dry-ice cleaning, etc.). All such operations would require additional structure coupleable to the injection molding machine to perform one or more of these operations. Such structure would be embodied as an operative structure or tooling that is mounted to a generic transport structure for movement of the operative structure into and out-of the molding region to perform their respective functions. However, all such additional structure will add complexity, weight, maintenance requirements, and degrade injection molding cycle time.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,976,603; 5,518,387; and 5,709,833 disclose a so-called Servo Swing Chute (“SSC”) structure whereby parts are removed from mold cavities by tooling that is mounted to a swing arm transport structure so as to swing toward and away from the mold to remove the just-molded plastic articles from the mold cavities. These SWC structures are typically mounted outboard of the mold cavities. The operation of these swinging tools requires relatively more time to extract the molded parts thereby increasing the cycle time (i.e., additional time required to open the mold wide enough to permit the large swing radius dictated by either the swing arm and/or the molded article thereon).
The so-called side-entry robot/end-of-tool-arm (“EOAT”) mechanism is another variety of transport structure for moving tooling across the face of the mold to perform certain post-mold operations. Such transport structure and tooling are situated outboard of the molds, typically adjacent the injection molding machine with the attendant size and weight disadvantages inherent in the fact that the tooling is of a size required to service an entire mold face (i.e., the tooling must reach across the entire face of the mold) and has a robust and relatively massive structure to accommodate the tooling over a relatively long translation stroke.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,173 discloses a molding apparatus including operative structure in the form of a carrier plate for receiving molded articles and holding inserts to be incorporated into the molded article, and further for transferring the inserts to the mold cores prior to molding. The carrier plate is intended for use mounted to a typical side-entry robot.
U.S. Pat. No. RE 33,237 discloses an improved carrier plate cooperating with an injection molding machine for handling hollow plastic articles from the molding cavities. Further, the structure and operation of the side-entry robot is contemplated, suggested configurations including a platen-mounted robot with pneumatically or servo driven tooling plate actuation, and with the further provision of a carrier plate to a mold alignment device.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,616,992, 4,679,997, and 4,784,592 are examples of known devices for placing labels in the blow molds of a blow-molding machine. The devices include a transfer assembly mounted on a side-entry robot that uses vacuum cups or grippers to transport the labels and/or blown article. However, these patents fail to disclose a sliding transport structure that can be advantageously mounted inboard of the mold.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,876 discloses a process and a device for injection molding plastic cups having a label-shaped enveloping sheet integrated therein. The label holder and handling device are of an integral construction, pivotably connected to the mold core half. This patents fails to disclose a sliding transport structure that can be advantageously mounted inboard of the mold.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,351,630 and 4,340,352 disclose a device for the in-mold closing of a lid of a cap. The device includes a finger mounted inboard of the mold which slides between the mold sections in an open position, and in the process, engages a portion of the article or the lid, rotates the portion or lid about the hinge, and snaps the lid shut. This patents fails to disclose a sliding transport structure that can be compactly mounted inboard of the mold.
Commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/243,002, filed 13 Sep. 2002, and entitled “APPARATUS FOR CLOSING A HINGED MOLDED PART”, discloses an apparatus and method for part removal from a mold and for the in-mold folding of a hinged molded part using a swing arm mechanism. This application does not, however, disclose a sliding transport structure that can be advantageously mounted inboard of the mold.
Thus, what is needed is a new transport structure and related tooling and/or method for performing various post-mold operations on just-molded plastic articles, which can reduce cycle time, reduce size and weight constraints, and offer great flexibility in the types of post-mold operations which can be carried out.